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“Minnesota’s Oldest Weekly Newspaper” Vol. 162, No. 1
Sauk Rapids, Benton County, Minnesota 56379
(USPS 482-240)
April 14, 2016
A continuation of the Frontiersman, The Free Press, Sauk Rapids Sentinel and St. Cloud Sentinel.
An unforeseen path Heinen-Kay researches
Àsh in Bahaman Islands by ANNA SALDANA STAFF WRITER
ST. PAUL – When Justa Heinen-Kay graduated from Sauk Rapids-Rice High School in 2004, she was ready to experience the world and all it had to offer. Following her high school career, Heinen-Kay attended the University of St. Thomas, majoring in biology. “I’ve always been curious about why the world is the way it is and how things work,” Heinen-Kay said. “I’m also extremely interested in Àeldwork, so this line of work seemed perfect for me.” While at St. Thomas, Heinen-Kay met her husband, Adam, also a biologist. Although the two are in the same Àeld, Adam does work with urban agriculture and food justice issues around the Twin Cities. “We are both very supportive of each other’s research and work. One example of his support was when our daughter, Matilda, was eight months old. I had to go to the Bahamas for a two-week Àeld study,” Heinen-Kay said. “He took care of her the whole time and let me go do the work I needed
to do.” Following her graduation at St. Thomas, Heinen-Kay spent a year and a half working in Trinidad, doing research in the rainforest. She researched a specie of stream Àsh. Since then, working with ecology and evolution has been her passion. Wanting to further her education, Heinen-Kay pursued her doctorate degree from North Carolina State University. She completed that degree last month. During her schooling, Heinen-Kay focused her research on the Bahamas mosquitoÀsh. These Àsh live in blue holes across Andros Island in the Bahamas. Blue holes are limestone sinkhole-like caves which have Àlled with water. These holes typically range from 100-200 yards in diameter and 200 yards deep. “MosquitoÀsh are native to blue hole environments. It is the ideal system to be able to answer the questions we have about how predation can inÁuence evolution in prey species,” Heinen-Kay said. Throughout her research, Heinen-Kay was focused on the blue hole system as a whole and how different aspects of the environment affect the Bahamas mosquitoÀsh. “It’s a very unique envi-
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As a biologist, Justa Heinen-Kay, 2004 Sauk Rapids-Rice High School graduate, researches the Bahamas’ mosquitoÀsh.
ronment. What’s really unique with these Àsh is that sometimes, they live in the blue holes by themselves with no potential predators, but in other blue holes, they have a particular species of predator Àsh,” Heinen-Kay said. “We use both environments for research and often make comparisons between the two. There’s nowhere else in the
world that has this perfect of a set up, where you can isolate this one factor, presence or absence of predatory Àsh, to test how it inÁuences the course of evolution.” After completing this degree, Heinen-Kay will be working in a post-doctoral research position at the University of Minnesota. “I’m in this awkward
time where I’ve obtained my PhD, but am not quite qualiÀed to get a job as a professor, which is my next goal. This research position will help me gain more research experience,” Heinen-Kay said. During this position, Heinen-Kay will be re-
Heinen-Kay continued on pg. 2
Four suffer injuries in single car accidents
WATAB TOWNSHIP— Slick conditions led to two Highway 10 accidents on the morning of April 8. Traveling southbound at approximately 8:21 a.m. on Highway 10, Karen Laughlin, 57 of Perham, lost control of her vehicle and rolled after tapping her brakes to slow for another crash. Laughlin and passengers Johann Muff, 44 of New York Mills, and Denise Sherman, 58 of Ottertail, were all transported by ambulance with non life-threatening injuries. Earlier that morning a similar accident took place in the northbound lanes of Highway 10. At 6:40 a.m. Kathleen Duresky, 69 of St. Paul was traveling north on Highway 10 at the intersection of 85th Street NW, when she lost control and went into the center median where the vehicle rolled and landed in the southbound lanes. Duresky was transported by ambulance with non life-threatening injuries. Her passenger, Thomas Nagel, 54 of St. Paul, suffered no apparent injuries in the crash. Minnesota State Patrol was assisted by the Benton County Sheriff’s OfÀce and the Gold Cross Ambulance in both accidents.
Former clerk sentenced A bittersweet ending by NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITER
FOLEY — After more than a year since former Rice city clerk M a r i e We i n a n d admitted to taking m o n e y from the Marie Weinand city, her case has come to a close. Weinand was sentenced on April 8 after tendering a guilty plea in exchange for an amended charge of gross misdemeanor theft. Weinand was convicted of gross misdemeanor theft and will serve 15 days in the Benton County jail and was ordered to perform a 15-day equivalent (120 hours) of community service within six months. The $2,200 restitution, which Weinand had already fulÀlled, will be sent to the city of Rice. Although Weinand’s attorney disagreed with the request for a letter of apology, Weinand will
be required to comply. “I don’t think it is meant to humiliate you,” said Judge Robert Raupp. “I think it’s an apology you owe to the community you stole from.” When asked if she had anything to say, Weinand replied, “I’m sorry for what I did. I just want to put this all behind me and move on.” In addition to the terms stated above, Weinand will serve two years probation, must remain law abiding, medication compliant and is ordered to have no contact with Rice City Hall or the employees therein. Weinand — who had been the treasurer and clerk for the city of Rice — stated in March 2015 she had taken $2,200 from the city on two separate occasions sometime in 2014. An audit was performed by Schlenner, Wenner and Company of the 2014 books for the city of Rice. The Àrm found Weinand had written out an extra payroll check to herself. Records show Weinand received 27 paychecks for the 26 pay periods during 2014.
Aksamit retires from Àrearm safety instruction after 26 years by ANNA SALDANA STAFF WRITER
SAUK RAPIDS – The Sauk Rapids Firearms Safety instructors are a committed and experienced group of individuals. Their combined experience totals 376 years, but on March 31, they lost 26 years when Ron Aksamit retired. “I’ve been interested in Àrearm safety since I took the course with my son when he was 12,” Aksamit said. “Three years later, our youngest son took the training, so I sat through the course with him. At the training, they asked if any of the adults in the room wanted to volunteer to be an instructor. I immediately knew it was for me.” After volunteering Aksamit went to Foley to receive his certiÀcation. Several other people decided to be-
come instructors at that time as well. Since Aksamit signed on, the program hasn’t lacked instructors. He credits the others for instilling a passion and commitment to the students in the class, particularly the kids. “I really wanted to help the other instructors, but the number one goal is to help kids get off on the right foot in life. Prior to being a Àrearm safety instructor, my wife, Barb, and I took care of Cub Scouts for Àve years,” Aksamit said. “I’ve always been extremely dedicated to kids and their education.” When their sons were no longer involved in Cub Scouts, along came Àrearm safety. Over the past 26 years, Aksamit has seen the program
Aksamit continued on pg. 5
PHOTO BY ANNA SALDANA
Ron Aksamit retired as a Àrearm safety instructor on March 31. His fellow instructors surprised him with this plaque following the Ànal class.
Deadly storm remembered 130 years later by NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITER
SAUK RAPIDS – At 4 p.m. on April 14, 1886 Minnesota’s deadliest tornado struck the city of Sauk Rapids and changed the course of history. Contrary to popular belief, St. Cloud had already surpassed the city of Sauk Rapids in terms of population, but the town had been the main business district for the area, which laid the perception that, had the twister not touched the soils of this city, Sauk Rapids would be the hub that St. Cloud is today. The weather was unusually sultry for a Minnesota April. But no one expected the devastation which was
about to touch their lives. The estimated F4 tornado touched down that afternoon for the Àrst time at North Star cemetery, one mile southwest of St. Cloud on what today is Cooper Avenue South. Traveling northeast at a speed up to 200 mph, with a maximum half mile radius, the storm swept through the railyards, entered the river and followed it north until swinging itself directly into downtown Sauk Rapids, taking out the town’s bridge, the Stanton Flour Mill, the Northern PaciÀc depot, over 100 commercial and public buildings and much more. “It is not any one section of Sauk Rapids that is gone; it
Tornado continued on pg. 3
Minnesota Severe Weather Awareness Week is held April 11-15. Statewide tornado drills will be held Thursday, April 14 at 1:45 and 6:55 p.m. Please take this opportunity to practice safety plans with families as weather is unpredictable.
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Ruins of the Sauk Rapids bridge are pictured after the 1886 tornado which devastated parts of St. Cloud, Sauk Rapids, and areas surrounding Rice and Buckman.